I feel as the mayor of this great city, I have an obligation to respond to the Sept. 8 editorial "Black leaders have a point." The editorial states, in part: "Black leaders stung by Mayor Neil M. O'Leary's inexplicable decision not to choose a qualified African-American woman for a Board of Education opening." The editorial went on to state Sundae Black "was the top vote-getter among the defeated candidates last November, and was willing to serve. Given these facts, there was no reason to look further. Yet, Mayor O'Leary picked someone who had shown no previous interest in serving on the school board ."

I could not disagree more. First, I take great exception to my decision being described as "inexplicable." Webster's dictionary defines inexplicable as incapable of being explained, interpreted or accounted for. When I announced my decision to pick Felix Rodriguez for the school board seat, I met with Republican-American reporter Michael Puffer and explained I had interviewed three excellent candidates for the position: Mr. Rodriguez, Sundae Black and Dr. Oltjon Albajrami. I also provided Mr. Puffer with the resumes of each candidate. Ms. Black and Dr. Albajrami were excellent candidates, but Mr. Rodriguez's lifelong commitment to children, his passion for getting parents involved in their children's education, his personal experience on the challenges of being abandoned by his father and brought up by a single mother, his acute knowledge of the achievement gap, his top-level management position in the Department of Children and Families, his meritorious service on the Board of Police Commissioners, his education, and finally his proven commitment to Waterbury, made him my choice for the school board.

Second, the comment that Mr. Rodriguez had shown no interest in serving on the school board is just not accurate. Mr. Rodriguez called me before and after the election, offering his assistance to my administration, including serving on any board.

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